Maccaroncello (Ziti) Pasta - Sapori di Napoli

Maccaroncello is the Neapolitan name for two-inch-long tubes that go by the name "ziti" further to the south. It works extremely well in baked pasta dishes like baked ziti and macaroni and cheese (preferably 4 cheeses!), but it's also terrific with any sauces that go well with penne or penne rigate.

About the Producer: Sapori di NapoliIn Italy's Campania region, pasta is considered art, ritual, culture, and history - especially in Naples and the towns and villages that surround it. The craftsmen at the Pastificio Artigianale Romita - located in the village of Borgo Reale di S. Leucio about 15 miles due north of Naples - produce their pasta Sapori di Napoli with the love and devotion of connoisseurs.

The skill and experience of the Master Pasta Makers are paramount; they employ traditional production methods now abandoned by industrial pasta makers. Starting with just the purest water and semolina from hand-selected durum wheat - whose low ash and high gluten content create superior texture and flavor - they work the dough by hand before extruding it through bronze dies in the traditional manner. The pasta is then dried slowly under controlled low-temperature conditions from 24 to 92 hours depending on the shape. This slow drying leads to uniform absorption of water during cooking and a perfect "al dente" on your plate.